Splitting the Frame

9688 Views 41 Replies 11 Participants Last post by NcChopper, May 4, 2004

NcChopper

Discussion Starter · Apr 14, 2004

Well, I am a new member to the Boss Hoss frame splitting club. Man is this a project. I can get everyting to move but the lower right side. This could turn into a several day project for me.

Sure wish I lived close to somebody who knew what they were doing!

Chris

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Adrian

· #2 · Apr 14, 2004

Chris
I use a screw driver on the top and pry like crazy as I hit the frame at the bottom with a rubber mallet. If you want I am up for a while.

Adrian

MBFsupport

· #3 · Apr 14, 2004

Wish I could help Bro.

I can split my frame in about 1.5 hours now.

Not sure if that is a good thing or not

Call me if you like.

hossman

· #4 · Apr 14, 2004

When I split my frame, it took me 2 days just to get the damn joints to pop apart.

It turned out that the front jack stands and the rear were not completely level. This was causing to much pressure at the joints. The best thing you can do to make this an easier job is to get a level and use it. It makes going back together easier too.

Hoss

NcChopper

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 14, 2004

I think that the level issue is the prob. I can get the left bottom to move and the tops are the half on half type so they are good to go. I may have the right side unlevel.

I have decided, with a lot of good advice, to have the tranny rebuilt/upgraded while I have it out. Nesco charges $800 for that if they have never had the tranny before. I am going to go ahead and buy the Coan converter and put on , too. Lots of money but I might as well do it right. I'll keep ya'll posted.

Chris

HogV8

· #6 · Apr 14, 2004

Although I have never split my frame I can see that the front and rear frame rails definetly have to be level for the frame to come apart at the bottom rails . This is why I can't see any easier way than to use the 2 trailer tonge jacks with wheels bolted to the swing arm plates as Fast Eddie suggested . This way you don't have to remove the rear wheel and with the tonge jacks it's easy to level the frame rails and just wheel the tail section out of the way like a three wheeler. Of course I realize that to split the lower rails it takes some persuasion espesially on an older bike that the joints are rusted , but I still think this is the best way I've heard of yet . If anyone has a better way of a simpler way I know all of us that have never done it before would like to here it please .

MBFsupport

· #7 · Apr 14, 2004

Just last year they charged $500 to rebuild a tranny. Wonder why it went up that much. :roll: You going with the high stall torque converter?

Boss Man

· #8 · Apr 14, 2004

2

When I split my bike to do the converter, I used my bike lift under the rear tire, and a small hydraulic floor jack under the bell housing. I found that after putting jack stands under the front half of the frame, I had to keep the back half jacked up with the bike jack under the rear wheel to keep things level. With that and the small floor jack under the bell housing, I was able to just roll the halves apart. It made getting the frame back together easier too.
Another thing I did (before splitting the frame) was to re install the 2 bolts holding the tranny to the frame, after removing the skid plate.
I didn't have to remove the tranny, but I guess you could put 2 jackstands under the rear frame, after splitting, to hold it while removing the tranny. I hope I don't have to find out!! Here's 2 pics. Hope it helps..........Don B

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NcChopper

Discussion Starter · #9 · Apr 15, 2004

Thanks for the tips and the pics. Lamont, Jim told me that it was due to them using stronger parts. I can't remember if he said diff clutch packs or gear sets or both. I'll verify that before he gets it and yes I am going with the Coan converter.

Chris

buyarbi

· #10 · Apr 15, 2004

Does coan have different converters as does nesco #5,#7
Bill

HogV8

· #11 · Apr 15, 2004

Thanks Don for your ideas and method for spliting the frame. I'm gathering Ideas and equipment for future reference . My tranny is still working great but if and when the time comes for a rebuild or a new converter I want to be prepared so I can do this project in the shortest time possible. But for now it ain't broke so I ain't gonna fix it . I don't know but sure would be a nice winter project but Murphys law says it will probably break in mid summer .

Boss Man

· #12 · Apr 15, 2004

Bite your tongue, Jack!! But I know what you mean. Let's just hope old Murphy doesn't apply this riding season! After all this friggin rain, we could use a break! Sure does seem to me like Daytona 8) was a LONG time ago

.........Don B :capwin:

NcChopper

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 16, 2004

Well, I got the frame apart and the tranny out this morning. My problem was so simple. I was trying to remove the frame with the tranny attached to the engine but the front vertical member on the right side of the frame hits the tranny housing before the frame will come apart. I pulled and pryed and snorted for a couple of hours and finally saw that was the trouble. Felt stupid but I gathered myself , unbolted the bellhousing and the thing slipped off like butter. Sure hope I can get it back together fairly easy. Tranny goes out tomorrow , hopefully, so I'll have a little while to get ready.

The bottom couplings were lubed pretty good when I pulled it apart. What kind of grease should I use there when putting it back together?

Also, I forget who told me they remove there rear tire when splitting the frame. I bet if I did that, I could mount the tranny to the engine first then maneuver my frame onto the front half and then re-install my rear tire. Sounds like a lot of work but wonder if it 'd be quicker because you could pickup the rear frame without a tire and get it mounted pretty quick, I'd think. Any thoughts on that?

Chris

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HogV8

· #14 · Apr 16, 2004

Cris , like I said I have never split a frame but this is where I think Fast Eddies idea about bolting two adjustable trailer jacks with wheels to the swingarm plates would make the job so much easier for alignment during disassembly and assembly . This way you can leave your rear wheel on . In fact I liked this idea so much I bought two such jacks yesterday and am making an adapter to mount them to my swingarm plates so I will be prepared for the dirty deed . Bought the jacks at Harbor freight for $ 20.00 each . It's a little fabricating to mount them , but I think it will save a lot of time and work if and when the time comes .

Rick Carnevale

· #15 · Apr 16, 2004

Frame Splitting

I have done this too many times so I have a system that works for me and this is how I do it. I put two jackstands under the footpeg mounts. Mine are welded in place because I don't have the slideing setup so this is a strong area. This picks the front wheel off the ground about four inches. I take a four by four block of wood and jam it under the front tire. This keeps the frame pretty level and prevents the front half from moving out of position when I separate the two halfs. I loosen up the rear wheel so it will move forward and backward with it's adjusters. I unbolt the bell housing from the block and torque converter from flywheel. I use a screwdriver to dislodge the taper on the upper frame splice. I remove one bolt on each side at the lower splice. Usually the rearward ones. I put a floor jack under the bell housing. This part sounds kind of hack but it works even better going back together. I roll the back tire backward abruptly and it works like a slide hammer to separate the frame halfs without beating anything with a rubber mallet. The floor jack rolls back with the whole back half assembly. Then I just roll it back in place to go back together. If you remove the tranny from the back half I would suggest getting the two bottom bolts started in the frame before putting the halfs back together. You can bolt the trans to the block and then put the frame together but you will probably fight with those two bottom bolts.
Rick

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HogV8

· #16 · Apr 16, 2004

Rick , when you say you can bolt the bell houseing and the trans. to the engine and then install the rear section of the frame , does this apply only to the one speed . It sounds like that on the 2 speed the trans. interferes with the vertical member on the right hand side of the frame ? I'm not questioning your method , It sounds like a good method , I'm just tring to learn .

Rick Carnevale

· #17 · Apr 16, 2004

Frame Splitting

Jack,
You are right. I am sorry. All the trannys and frames I have worked on have been 1999 and older. Single speed clutch and single speed automatics. With the two speed, you WILL have to bolt the tranny into the rear frame half first because of that frame down tube like you said. Sorry about that. I hate giving out wrong info. You can still do everything else the same way except for what we just said.
Sorry,
Rick

NcChopper

Discussion Starter · #18 · Apr 16, 2004

Jack,

I bought two trailer jacks , too, but on my frame the only place to bolt them to was just one hole where the cover over the swing arm bolt is. I tried used a big square u bolt but that wasn't cutting it. I'll have to have something made to attach it right.

Chris

MBFsupport

· #19 · Apr 17, 2004

HogV8 said:
Rick , when you say you can bolt the bell houseing and the trans. to the engine and then install the rear section of the frame , does this apply only to the one speed . It sounds like that on the 2 speed the trans. interferes with the vertical member on the right hand side of the frame ? I'm not questioning your method , It sounds like a good method , I'm just tring to learn .

Unless you move that tube and make it removable

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HogV8

· #20 · Apr 17, 2004

Chris , on my 2000 , the swingarm mounting plate has 2 holes in it spaced about 2" apart . What I did was to tap these 2 holes to 1/2" - 13 thread. Then I made 2 alum . blocks , 4" x 2" x 1 1/2" thick with 2 counterbored holes for 1/2" allen head cap screws in it to line up with the 2 holes in the swingarm plate . Then I drilled and tapped 2 , 3/8 " - 16 holes in the block to bolt the tonge jacks to . The reason I had to make them 1 1/2" thick is to space the tonge jacks out far enough to clear the swingarm and it's mounting bolts . It all sounds complicated but it is realy simple . So now I can bolt these blocks on each side of the swingarm mounting plates , then bolt the 2 tonge jacks to the each block and crank the whole back of the bike right up in the air . Of course when using them to just support the rear section when spliting the frame , you wouldn't have the whole weight of the bike on the tonge jacks , just the weight of the rear section , trans, and bell housiing . I think they are going to work slicker than **** .

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